‘I was amazed when I learned how much need there is for basics that most of us take for granted, like food, clothing and formula.’

Bay Shore

“Eileen’s Free Bodega started from a friend’s suggestion. I was volunteering in the South Bronx at a community fridge where people could get fresh food any time they needed.

“My friend said, ‘Why don’t we have something like that in Suffolk?’ So I made an online petition requesting help to set up a community fridge on Long Island. We got 1,000 signatures, but when I presented it to legislators, it got the NIMBY response: not in my backyard.

“I searched for months until I tried the Consulate of El Salvador in Brentwood. Within 30 minutes, I saw Consul Henry Salgado, and he loved the idea! It started as a food table once a week. On the first day, we brought a huge amount of food, but it was gone in an hour.

“The project worked so well that the consul let us put a community fridge there. Shortly after, we spoke to Father [Juan] Reyes at Christ Episcopal Church in Brentwood and asked if we could set up a second community fridge at his church. He loved the idea, so now we have two locations that are always open.

My grandmother instilled in me a strong belief that you should speak out about injustice wherever it occurs and do everything you can to make a difference.

“I was amazed when I learned how much need there is for basics that most of us take for granted, like food, clothing and formula. Our community trusts us, so when they have other needs, we point them to organizations that can help. I often get asked why I do this, and my answer is always the same: This movement is community.

“Although I’m the face most people see, we have a whole team behind Eileen’s Free Bodega, people who work hard to make it all possible. We have so many supporters donating their time, money and food to share with the community. It is truly a beautiful thing. I’m in a position of privilege, and I’m conscious of the injustice in our society.

“As an adjunct social sciences professor at Queens College, I talk about inequalities and teach theory, but it doesn’t mean anything if I’m not applying it outside the classroom.

“My grandmother instilled in me a strong belief that you should speak out about injustice wherever it occurs and do everything you can to make a difference. That’s why I named it Eileen’s Free Bodega, for my grandmother, who passed away shortly after we started. She was a big part of the reason I am who I am.”

Interviewed by Jenna Kern – Rugile

‘Yoga has taught me to just enjoy the ride and not feel like where you are is set in stone.’

Massapequa

“An unlucky injury led me to a lucky thing: finding yoga. I got into yoga 12 years ago. I was playing lacrosse for Adelphi and I hurt myself after one of my practices. My buddy gave me a yoga DVD and I gave it a shot. I stuck with the DVD for a long time, and it became almost a necessity. The repetition of that over months and years led me deeper into it. It got past the physical part and into more mental, emotional and spiritual until it became lifestyle.

“Before opening a yoga studio, I was driving a big truck. I started reading yoga books at truck stops and doing stretches and headstands between stops. I’ve sold insurance, worked in an auto body shop, delivered pizzas. I’ve been unemployed. But everything has led me to here. Yoga has taught me to just enjoy the ride and not feel like where you are is set in stone.

“I had been teaching in 2020 in a park in Massapequa. When it started to become cold out, the group we developed said, ‘Where are we going to go now? Where are we going to practice?’ So I started looking at places. Everything was small, low ceilings, not a lot of light. I became discouraged. I considered being a travel yoga teacher. One of my buddies found this spot on Facebook Marketplace and sent me the link for it. I saw high ceilings, big windows, open floors and multiple rooms. I thought if there was ever a place that could get people to continue their practice and open up, it would be in this big open space.

“I opened in December of 2020. I made it a goal in the beginning of that year that I wanted to open up a studio. I had a vision of creating somewhere that offered yoga around the clock and at all different levels and styles of practice. That wasn’t available in the yoga world with studios on Long Island.

“I’m blown away on how much these yogis are dedicated to showing up for themselves and their practice, and the friendships made between the students along the way, the bonding between everybody before, after and during the class. People come here and let their true colors shine. It doesn’t have to be that way. You can just come and get your practice in and leave, but something else draws people to each other here.”

Interviewed by Tracey Cheek

‘We wanted to provide a group that supported one another and shared birth stories and learn from other people’s experiences.’

Southampton

“I’m a licensed massage therapist and was treating a client who just had twins via Cesarean who was having back pain. I was totally shocked by the fact that the only real follow-up for this birth was that she would see her doctor once and she was sent home with babies to lift.

“I learned there’s no postpartum care on the East End. I decided to become a doula to provide emotional and physical support for a birthing person throughout their whole pregnancy and labor process.

“I connected with another doula, and we realized that not just the postpartum was lacking, but support for pregnant women too. We wanted to provide a group that supported one another and shared birth stories and learn from other people’s experiences. That’s how our group birth circle started in 2012.

During the pandemic we created the Stork Co-op, a baby and parent pantry with new and gently used donated supplies.

“Over time, we learned the inequities of birthing and that the maternal mortality rates on the East End are very poor. That launched us into our advocacy efforts. We do a lot of advocacy in terms of maternal mortality and awareness and education, especially for the Shinnecock and the historic Black community here.

“Out here, you need a car to go everywhere, so getting to and from doctors appointments can be hard, and the two birthing hospitals are an hour away [ in Stony Brook and Bay Shore]. For people who are low risk, we’re educating them about midwifery and doula services and offering them support during pregnancy and birth.

“Having a community when you’re going through this life-changing experience is important. We incorporate supporting the mom as much as the baby.

“During the pandemic we created the Stork Co-op, a baby and parent pantry with new and gently used donated supplies; everything from baby bottles to infant care to maternity care to postpartum.

“We distribute them to our local year-round community we know is confronted by these access issues. We’ve also done educational presentations with local practitioners. We’ve helped hundreds of women. I didn’t think I would be doing this, but I felt like I needed to because nobody else was.

“In the past five years, there’s a national recognition of the maternal mortality rates. There are now groups and organizations across Long Island that are focusing on these topics and trying to improve the situation.”

Interviewed by Liza Burby